People like to refer to Kentucky-based country music artists like Tyler Childers as the pinnacle of authenticity in today’s country. Recently Childers spoke at length about why he chose not to move to Nashville to further his career and instead stayed behind in Kentucky. He said it was because you can’t write country songs if you’re not in the country, and that hanging around the old codgers with their turns of phrases and nuances of speaking is the way to soak that real world experience up and bake it into your songs.

Chris Knight is just the kind of salt-of-the-earth guy Tyler Childers is speaking of. While the new generation of Kentucky songwriters like Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson are out there cursing the industry, this Slaughters, Kentucky-native is cursing at his lawnmower that won’t start, re-shingling the shed, and writing songs at his kitchen table with calloused hands when he can find the time between honey-do’s and tour dates. Chris Knight’s music career has been kind of a beautiful accident. He didn’t even sign his first label deal until he was 37 after working in the mining industry for years, and rattling off songs when he could. If you want the real deal wisdom and perspective of middle America, you go strait to the source. And for artists like Randy Travis, John Anderson, and Lee Ann Womack, and for thousands of loyal fans over the years, that source has been Chris Knight.

Never has wisdom sounded so simple, and truth rung so true as it does in a Chris Knight song. In his sharp Kentucky accent and plainspoken language, this anti-star can impart learning on the level of the Dalai Lama if you listen. If you were worried he’d lose his fastball from waiting a full seven years since his last studio album, you misspent some grey hairs. Almost Daylight is just another Chris Knight record, which means a menu offering of meaningful songs that draw upon setting with severe cunning and insight, and establish character in a manner other major song smiths only wish they could master.

Chris Knight makes you realize things about the common struggles and simple pleasures of life that would have otherwise passed you by. He can turn the trite and obvious into moments of magic and epiphany that reset your entire perspective on the world, all while relying on the most colloquial of vocabulary as his medium. An entire catalog of self-help material can’t help motivate and embolden your worn down spirit as much as the message in his song “Go On.” This hole we’ve dug for ourselves with all this left and right stuff is so deep we can’t even see over the edge to the eternal truths of life, but Chris Knight’s “The Damn Truth” brings it all back into perspective for everyone.

There’s love songs, and then there’s Chris Knight’s version of “Flesh & Blood” written by Johnny Cash, which puts the most complicated of human emotions into the simplest of terms. “Everybody’s Lonely Now” is darn near a perfect experiment into shared commiseration. You can’t help but be a changed person coming off the tail end of a Chris Knight record.

Though he had us a little worried that his voice had deteriorated significantly when we heard the first song from this record, “I’m William Callahan,” this might have been more about him working to evoke character, which he does better than most. Chris Knight’s singing has never been the reason you bend your ear towards him, but who gives a shit? It’s beautifully imperfect and full of character, like your grandpa’s old weathered face. The sound of a Chris Knight song has never been anything special either, and the same holds true for the songs of Almost Daylight. They set some mics and amps up in the studio, string the 1/4 inchers and XLRs into the board, and get it done. It’s not exactly country, but it’s too cool to burden with the title “Americana.” It’s just Chris Knight, and you shut up and listen to what he’s saying.

John Prine joins Chris Knight for the final song on the record, a cover of Prine’s “Mexican Home.” It’s a full circle moment for Chris, seeing how he started his musical pursuits as a teenager learning every John Prine song he could get his hands on—not a surprise since Prine turned to Kentucky for subject matter on a few occasions. These two old coots sound terrible together, yet you love every minute of it, and can’t help but hear their grins coming through the signals.

It’s uncanny how Chris Knight takes such simple notions, and turns them into exaltations for the common man, their common struggles, and imparts solutions to everyday dilemmas. He’s the headwaters of erudite knowledge served in plainspoken terms that all other country songwriters seek. Almost Daylight is a roadmap to find them; a textbook into their truths. But even the most studious will still be pupils, while Chris Knight proves once again he’s the master.

57 Comments

My favorite review of the year chalked with lines to reinforce my platform… “ It’s not exactly country, but it’s too cool to burden with the title “Americana.”

I’d add, through his songs he owns his shit … unapologetically, warts and all. Like Childers, this isn’t whiny, emo-country with regret and the need for self help.
It’s what defines us as men and women, a culture, a forgotten region… a flawed and simple people.

I did feel a little changed and empowered after keeping this one on repeat all day yesterday.

Chris Knight isn’t any genre, he’s a voice from western Kentucky who writes about the life he lives. Which happens to be rural, blue collar, country, whatever. His honest delivery and lack of pretense is refreshing. Americana continues to be a refuge for what I feel to be pretense, self-importance, and feigned artistry. This is the antidote.

There is a significant amount of strip mining for coal in western Kentucky. He was born in Kentucky, and still lives in the same town there. He does tour Texas heavily, has for 20 years. Tours nationwide though.

don’t know this artist ….but yeah ….i agree tony . the musical arrangements don’t add a lot to this and his vocals don’t need to be competing with a band . its all about the lyric . he’s randy newman but with a guitar . the lyrics are there . he’s a poet who wants to sing . like leonard cohen did . so let him sing . the lyrics are pretty good . melodies are weak ….but they don’t matter with this kinda stuff , really .

1+

D Ray White
October 12, 2019 @
10:33 pm

Plenty of coal mines in West Kentucky, they’re mostly surface mines. Gotta go North and East of Hoptown to get to ‘em. There’s also coal mines across the Ohio in IN and IL.

Yes therr are just not around Hopkinsville. I grew up a few miles from Chris and played guitar for him for years. My brother works in a mines as have 4 generations of my family. The mines are more in Hopkins and Muhlenberg counties but not Christian county where Hopkinsville is. Through the 80’s Hopkins county and Muhlenberg county were the 2 largest coal producing counties in Kentucky. Its much smaller now but they are still here. Chris worked for the state and was a mone inspector before music full time. I used to wait at his house for him to get off work so we could play music. He drove a big blue state truck with a huge silver state logo on it haha. It was an ugly thing.

Americana is where an artist goes if they believe themselves to be more intelligent than most people, including their listeners. Chris Knight would never assume such a thing, and likely feels he could learn something from most people.

Well said, thank you. It’s one of the most self-congratulatory genres/associations in the history of mankind. And it sucks that so many people feel that’s the only place to turn when the mainstream leaves them.

If there was an Edit button, I’d have re-phrased my original comment to “americana has become a place where…”

Obviously my critical comment doesn’t cast an umbrella over all artists associated with the term. Every independent artist we all adore has been labeled Americana at one point or another. Admittedly, I’ve been turned off by the handful or artists from underneath that term who’ve used their music as preachy political platforms.

0

Jayson
October 12, 2019 @
1:11 pm

I feel as though some artists get the “Americana” label merely bc they dared to stretch a genre. It’s lazy.

Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to Americana. I completely agree it’s a term that is bloated, limiting, misappropriated, and often used by educated and affluent whites to tout their earthiness and diversity. But Americana has also given a home, support, and a lot of worthy attention to some great music over the years. It’s totally imperfect, but until a better option comes around, it’s a fine distinction for roots music that’s not exactly rock or country.

Americana is a complicated term for sure but where I live in northern CA it seems people use that genre label so they can like real deal country music without having to say they like country music. A sort of loop whole because round here country music is a label that has lots of issues that I keep having to fight against.

Side note: Tanya Tucker performed here last Friday at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. People here like bluegrass pickin’ for sure and they seem to give Emmylou a pass as a country act. But round these parts we’re more Grateful Dead, Linda Ronstadt country than Merle and Jean Shepard country.

So I’d wager that 90% of the audience at Hardly Strictly were not really sure who Tanya was or that she had any real legacy. Such a variety of acts come through the festival that people eyes and ears can glaze over. But it was free so people were there with their prove yourself attitude.

And boy did she, Tanya did not fool around she made it more country and honky-tonk than anything I’ve seen there. Kicked some real ass singing to the rafters and swigging tequila on stage. She clearly knew where she was and what kind of audience was before her so might as well go for broke. So it was full steam in the fast lane of country. Shooter was there too came out to play piano for a song.

By the time she got to Delta Dawn at the end of her hour set the vast field in Golden Gate Park was sold and singing along. I’ve never seen a turnaround like that in my life.

Years from now people will speak about Cody Jinks with such awe and appreciation, but they’ll always cite After the Fire as the one Jinks album that wasn’t the best album released on its release day, even if it is fantastic, and then they’ll explain that that’s only because a Chris Knight album came out on the same day. October 11th, 2019 was a great day for Country music.

It’s so funny how the names of genres mean so many different things to different people. I always thought of Chris Knight as a independent, singer songwriter, COUNTRY artist, who couldn’t be bothered one iota with what sounds were coming out of Nashville. The pretension of the word “Americana” is something that completely avoids him. I think he’s such a treasure. Some of his songwriting is so pure, in a sense, that the next line seemingly writes itself. The soundscapes Chris Knight creates on his albums are so evocative of the imagery in the songs. Listen to the lyrics of “North Dakota” and tell me you’re don’t see a man out looking for his wife in a blizzard out in the prairie. His songwriting is so unbelievably authentic. The mix of accordion and mandolin on many of his songs captures his unique mix of bluegrass and western music influence. So glad my Uncle got me onto him when he did. Seeing him at the Grizzly Rose a couple of times is something I’ll cherish forever

As a lifelong North Dakotan, “North Dakota” speaks to me so authentically. I’ve listened to the Music Fog live performance with Chris Clark on mandolin at least on a weekly basis for years now. I’m not even sure Chris Knight has ever been to North Dakota, let alone in a January/February blizzard. I wish he’d come play a small venue in Fargo.

What a brilliant review. I am still waiting for my copy of Almost Daylight to arrive so I can’t comment on the album yet. I was excited enough about the album anyway, having waited so long for new material from Chris and this review has increased my anticipation. I am really looking forward to listening to it for the first of many times.

Been listening on Spotify. Having a hard time buying from his website, which is where I want to buy the album. Not sure if it’s a problem on his site or my computer. Regardless, I’ll get the album one way or the other. My first impressions are that this album is solid, like all his albums; thanks for the review Trig. I’ll always remember it was Chris Knight who saved me from the barren wilderness of mainstream music. I would never have even known bands like the Turnpike Troubadours and Randy Rogers existed if I hadn’t first stumbled upon Chris Knight ten or so years ago. For me, as one who only ever listened to rock music growing up, he bridged the gap of what little remained of solid rock music with authentic country.

Mr. Trigger, please forgive …
Currently at an outdoor free concert in the tiny town of Brownstown, Indiana.
Glamerica is tearing it up. They are very, very, good, live!
Not hearing country, per say, but hearing great music, non-the-less.
I believe they are INDY based. You know, home of the three very famous, very smart-assed Bob & Tom, & of course, Christy Lee, whom our son, Chris, was in love with, when he was 8 yrs old.
Have been fortunate & very Blessed to have been worldwide, in my life, mostly U.S.
Ronnie Morris, of N. Y. wrote & recorded a song about making love in the Adirondacks, & recorded it in Saratoga, & the song has a steel guitar in it.
Ronnie made me be at the studio when he recorded it.
Was exhausted from studies in nuclear medicine and was lying behind the steel guitar player, on a loveseat, tears pouring down my eyes.
Ronnie named the song, For Diana, and No, it is not on any billboards, but buddy, it is in my heart.
Ronnie also sent Fall leaves, in an envelope, from up in the Adirondacks, at our special 3-sided, lean to, where he took me to Heaven, all afternoon,
Anyway, this has Nothing to do with country music, but it has everything to do with Great musicians!
This group, Glamerica? Totally knocking it out of the Ballpark!
Thank you for letting me plug this group

I had the CD pre-ordered. Been listening to it all day, bought the MP3 version on Amazon because I didn’t want to wait. Because, I suppose, I have been waiting 7 long years and I couldn’t stand it anymore lol. That is, literally, a lifetime. Ok, well, maybe for a prison inmate. But, you get my drift. This man does not -ever – fail to deliver. Been listening nonstop. What a record! Chris Knight is the real deal, hands down.

BTW, I do believe that is the best damn review I have ever read. Kudos!

Nick, Yeah! Last time I saw him was several yrs ago, sitting on a picnic table outside a bar in a tiny town in Montana!! With Maybe 30 other people! (Early Spring, still cold as hell!) He is a fabulous musician who plays kickass music!! End of story!!” People piss, moan, & argue SO MUCH about what “genre” of music someone is, why not……just enjoy the music & quit the petty
bickering!! I swear every conversation these days is either political, or a full blown argument! 😋 I’m neither a Republican, Democrat, Liberal, Socialist….blah, blah, blah….I’m an American 🙂 He’s a musician!! Why must he or anyone else always be catagorized!!
“Music”
The Universal Language🎵
~Peace~

I love Robert Earl Keen and his gritty, down-and-out characters from “Whenever Kindness Fails,” “Jesse With the Long Hair,” “The Road Goes on Forever,” etc.
But I have to say, REK’s songs are from Disneyland, compared to the depressing songs of murderous psychopaths that Chris Knight puts down so eloquently.
Chris Knight’s “The River” makes Springsteen’s “The River,” sound like “Michael, Row the Boat Ashore.”

My TV was randomly on a cable music (audio only) channel 20 or so years ago. I didn’t know cable TV had random music genre playlist channels. Somehow, my dog’s paw or my ass found this particular channel. I never would have known, except for “It ain’t easy being me” was playing. The song title and artist name was on the bottom left hand corner and immediately had my attention. How could I have missed this amazing song/artist from the 70’s or 80’s? I went out and bought that self titled CD the same day – and of course realized it was the recent first album from Chris Knight. Been with him every album ever since. ‘Mexican Home’ is my favorite John Prince song. There are a couple haunting covers that I love (check Jeffrey Foucault). But this version tops them all. Played it too many times to count this morning! Go see Chris Knight live. Hate yourself if you don’t.

I love this guy, he is the perfect definition of “real deal”.Agree his sound’s not just country but it’s so grounded and real waht else can it be?
I guess this video comes to show the circle will be unbroken:https://youtu.be/Fly0B3szI98

So great to see Chris Knight gets this attention — maybe I’m mistaken, but I have the impression he’s long been criminally under-appreciated. It’s also great to see he’s still producing great music — you don’t see that longevity at that level of quality too often. Thanks much for the review — my Sunday will include a long listen to “Almost Daylight.

I have similar feelings on this one as I had for James McMurtry’s Complicated Game. Like the release of this album, It had been about seven years since McMurtry’s last album and we were hungry for a new one from him. And because of that great length of time, we really wanted to love the new album, but there was the fear of possible disappointment, which really would have been a bummer given how long we waited. Well, like McMurtry, Chris Knight has delivered and this fan is very happy. At the very least, this album has vaulted into my top two, along with Emily Scott Robinson’s Traveling Mercies.

My favorite song from Lee Ann Womack’s last two albums is Knight’s Send it On Down. I think she just nails that song, but man, is it great to hear Chris Knight sing it (with her singing harmony, of course). I can just picture the dude sitting in the cold on the bleachers Sunday morning killing that quart. I just bought a ticket to see Lee Ann this Friday. I sure hope she sings that song.

One more thing. It appears that master songwriter Chris Knight must have some respect for Johnny Cash as a songwriter to cover one of his originals alongside one of John Prine’s.

Saw him last night at exit in, Nashville. What a humble straight shooter. No BS just played solid for nearly 2 hours. Like listening to a group of old timers playing at the county fair. It was awesome seeing a ton of young people singing along every wood to songs from Almost Daylight.

This one was not his strongest effort. I was a bit disappointed because something was missing that was there before. I saw him perform last week and his vocals were barely understandable because he was muted in his performance. This is just like the vocals on this new one. I remain a huge fan. I wish I had discovered him years earlier than I did. This recording would be better if his vocal work was not muted. Overall the sound was not in harmony with the parts. That’s an engineers fault. Sorry Chris.

I saw him last night in Chattanooga, TN. He played for 1 1/2 hours. The crowd though was left wondering why he didn’t play more songs from the new album. Tickets said CD Release Party. Everyone thought he was going to play the new CD. The set list had him playing 5 new songs but he only played 2 maybe 3. He didn’t stick to his set list. He didn’t even play “Damn Truth”. It was a little weird. I agree that he’s better solo. The band just wasn’t tight.